U.S. Senate Passes Bill to Ease Punishment for Crack Cocaine Possession

As reported by National Public Radio on March 23, 2010, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to lessen the punishment for possession of crack cocaine after decades of debates and lobbying. The current law punishes crack users 100 times more heavily than powder cocaine users, but the new Senate bill brings the 100-to-1 ratio down to 18-to-1.

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President Cynthia Orr said possession of a saccharin package worth of crack cocaine is a five-year mandatory minimum during an NPR interview.

View the original NPR report discussing possession of crack cocaine penalties.